Sunday’s demonstration in Manila to coincide with anniversary of 1972 martial law declaration as president backs rally in bid to placate anger
Thousands of people are expected to join a mass protest in Manila on Sunday amid a groundswell of anger in the Philippines against perceived corruption in government-funded flood control projects.
Dubbed the “Trillion Peso March”, the demonstration is named after a Greenpeace estimate of $17.6bn that the environmental organisation alleges is the amount skimmed from climate-related projects in 2023.
The 21 September demonstration holds symbolic historical significance, coinciding with the anniversary of the same day in 1972 when then-leader Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law.
It was a massive people-power movement that ultimately toppled the decades-long reign of Marcos, who was forced to flee the country in 1989 amid widespread public discontent and allegations of rampant corruption.
